Monday, October 3, 2016

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #6 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Having just saved 2016 San Francisco from an anomaly that was transforming people into gargoyles, The Doctor, Rose Tyler and Captain Jack Harkness are now hot on the trail of the cause. The path leads them - and one of the unfortunate victims - to England in the 1970s... or is it the 80s? In any event, some of The Doctor's old friends from UNIT are already on the case but will they be able to cope with yet another incarnation of The Doctor showing up to interfere in their work?

Cavan Scott's script for this issue will prove a real treat for fans of the Third and Fourth Doctor eras. It's great fun to see The Ninth Doctor butting heads with Harry Sullivan. And the mystery behind the gargoyles is a gripping one.

Unfortunately, Adriana Melo's art continues to be problematic. While she does quite well in depicting the characters in close-up, her work is erratically inked. Soft lines are left on The Doctor's face whilst every bit of Rose Tyler's face is horrifically outlined, creating a character that looks less like Billie Piper and more like someone wearing a mask from The Purge. And some of the distance shots are little better than first draft sketches in terms of detailing. Still, the color art by Marck Lesko is top-notch but this is definitely a book you'll buy for the story rather than the art.